VH1 Celebrates New Hit Series Milestone by Renewing Five Hit Shows and Ordering New Projects From Dr. Drew Pinsky and Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard

‘I Want To Work For Diddy,’ ‘Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,’ ‘Brooke Knows Best,’ ‘Gotti’s Way 2,’ and ‘Tool Academy,’ All Get Renewed

‘New York Goes To Work’ and ‘Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew’ Both Get Greenlit for First Seasons

LOS ANGELES, April 22 /PRNewswire/ – On the heels of another viewership milestone, VH1 has ordered additional seasons for five hit series including: “I Want To Work For Diddy” (season 2), “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” (season 3), “Brooke Knows Best” (season 2), “Gotti’s Way 2″ (season 2), and “Tool Academy.” (season 2)

In addition, VH1′s own Tiffany “New York” Pollard is set to star in a new show on the channel with “New York Goes To Work,” where she will have to learn a new job skill each week. VH1 has also greenlit a spin-off of “Celebrity Rehab” that will venture into the rarely talked about world of sexual addiction in “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew.”

The renewals and greenlights arrive as the number of successful VH1 series continue to grow. “Rock Of Love Bus with Bret Michaels” and “I Love Money 2″ drew huge audiences in the first quarter, averaging at least 1 million total viewers in their premiere episodes. New VH1 shows “Tool Academy,” “VH1′s Tough Love,” “For The Love of Ray J” and “Sober House” all averaged at least 1 million total viewers as well in their premiere episodes throughout this past first quarter. Based on that definition, VH1 has debuted more new hit series than any other cable network so far this year.

“VH1 is riding high on its most successful wave of original hit programming yet. We launched more new hit series than any other cable network in the first quarter of 2009,” said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production, VH1. “Much of our momentum can be credited to many of the franchises and talent that we’re renewing today. These upcoming projects will continue to set the mark for reality television while connecting with some of the most loyal viewers in all of television.”

VH1 series renewals and new projects include:

The economy may be in the tank but at least one person is hiring…Diddy. In the second season of “I Want to Work for Diddy 2,” the man himself will play an even bigger role as he searches for an assistant with the mental and physical stamina it takes to work for one of the world’s most high profile CEOs. A batch of new hopefuls will once again be put through the rigors of what it actually takes to win one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs in “the business.” To apply for a spot in the new season log on to www.workforpdiddy.com starting Monday, April 20. The second season will tape in the summer for a fall 2009 premiere.

Dr. Drew Pinsky is tackling a new yet very real addiction in “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew.” In this eight episode one-hour series, Dr. Drew is turning his attention and cameras on a very widespread but rarely talked about addiction. Sexual compulsion afflicts roughly 6% of the American population and carries the same devastating consequences as any other addiction. For addicts, sex isn’t even pleasurable, but rather a way to escape the pain of past loss, childhood trauma, abuse and abandonment. Like many other addictions, their habits can cost them their jobs, their marriages, even their lives. Despite all this, the affliction is often dismissed because it’s not understood how something as natural and beautiful as sex can be an addiction. In this series Dr. Drew will treat a group of people in Los Angeles who are struggling with this disease while shedding some light on this oft-dismissed compulsion and all the destructive costs that come with it. The series is set to premiere in the fall of 2009.

“Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” is executive produced by John Irwin and Bruce Toms for Irwin Entertainment. Dr. Drew Pinsky and Howard Lapides are also executive producing. Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, and Noah Pollack are executive producers for VH1.

Dr. Drew and VH1 are also bringing back the award-winning reality series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” for a third installment. The series will follow a new group of celebrity patients who have volunteered to undergo a 21-day detoxification and treatment at a rehabilitation center in the Los Angeles area. The series has not yet been cast but aims to start filming sometime in late spring for a fall 2009 premiere. Returning to the show to help Dr. Drew are drug addiction counselor Bob Forrest and resident technician Shelly Sprague who have each spent years on both sides of the rehab fence.

“Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” is executive produced by John Irwin and Bruce Toms for Irwin Entertainment. Dr. Drew Pinsky and Howard Lapides are also executive producing. Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, and Noah Pollack are executive producers for VH1.

Also returning to VH1 is “Brooke Knows Best” which follows Brooke Hogan and her roommates Glenn and Ashley on their new adventures living single and solo in Miami. As Brooke gets more comfortable living on her own, she continues to take on more responsibilities for her career and life away from her family. Her dad Hulk Hogan is still very protective of his little girl and continues to check in on her, but he is beginning to see her as a young woman with a life of her own. Linda and Brooke also look to repair the ever widening riff between them brought on by Hulk and Linda’s divorce. New series will premiere in Spring 2009.

“Gotti’s Way 2,” the reality series that follows the unique lives of record producer Irv Gotti, his estranged wife Deb, and their three children, returns for a second season on Monday, May 4 at 10:30pm ET/PT. This season we’ll see Irv under pressure to keep up with the changes in the music industry while trying to keep his record label relevant. We’ll also focus on Deb as she struggles with their “arrangement” while she takes steps to gain some independence from Irv in an attempt take more control of her life. This is definitely not the Cosby’s or Run’s House… and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tiffany “New York” Pollard, star of the hit “I Love New York” series, returns to VH1 as she rolls up her sleeves in “New York Goes To Work.” Every actress needs a day job and even VH1′s resident reality queen is not immune. That’s right, New York is getting a real job. Each week, America will choose from a list of three possible job opportunities and vote via their mobile phones by texting which job they would like to see Tiffany try the following week. Will she be a Cal Trans sewer worker, a mortuary beautician, or a fast food employee? It will be up to the fans. And don’t think it will be easy for Tiffany. She’ll need to fulfill all duties associated with the job. Why again is she doing this? For the money of course. If she can impress her new employers, she’ll receive a $10,000 bonus each week. But, if she quits, fails, or gets fired, she’ll get absolutely nothing. The half-hour series is set to premiere on Monday, May 4 at 10:00pm ET/PT.

“Tool Academy“–the hit series that gave insensitive and clownish boyfriends a surprise wake up call followed by intensive relationship therapy is back for another 10 week semester. Each week, the “Tools” will get lessons designed to give them one last chance to save their faltering relationships. The Academy’s resident counselor Trina Dolenz will cover topics like honesty, fidelity, maturity and communication. The guys who don’t learn…will go home, but not before their girlfriends decide whether to keep them, or leave them behind to start over. The one man who shows the most improvement graduates with $100,000. “Tool Academy” is hosted by Jordan Murphy. The series will premiere Sunday, August 2, 2009.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

    Contacts:
    Scott Acord/VH1                                   Toni Herron/VH1
    (310) 752-8075                                    (212) 846-7528

SOURCE VH1